Motor Almanac

Ford / F150 / 2009

2009 Ford F150

Family: F150 · filed with NHTSA as F-150

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2009 F150 drew 85 complaints — 0.3× the median of its generation (2009–2014). It is among the least-complained-about years of this generation.
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Accelerator & Cruise Control, holds 17% of the 319 that name a component.
  • 2 recalls filed for this model year.
  • No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
324
Recalls
2
Investigations
0
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
15–17
Annual fuel cost
$3,650–$4,150
Median mileage at complaint
50,800 mi (n = 289)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
28 / 8 / 21 / 0

What owners report

Accelerator & Cruise Control

54 complaints · 17% of complaints that name a component · median 43,740 mi (n = 50)

Owner report The gas pedal got stuck while I was driving. I couldn't stop it and lost control. It caused a horrific car accident. 10 people were involved and I'm currently fighting the case in court to prove I was not reckless. It has been inspected by my insurance but unfortunately it was only for damages and not for mechanical is…
Owner report WHILE IN MOTION MAKING A THREE POINT TURN TO TURN AROUND, THE ENGINE SPEED (RPM) INCREASED CAUSING TRUCK TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. SERVICE BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE TRUCK. I PUT THE TRUCK TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DEPRESSING THE SERVICE BRAKE PEDAL, THE TRUCK STOPPED AND I SHUTOFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED. THIS IS…

Engine

51 complaints · 16% of complaints that name a component · median 81,000 mi (n = 47)

Owner report The contact's son owned a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while approximately 10 MPH, he observed smoke emanating from the glove box and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact steered the vehicle to the side of the road, and he observed a small fire by the accelerator pedal. The contact exited…
Owner report The contact owns a 2009 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine rattled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed tha…

Electrical System

46 complaints · 14% of complaints that name a component · median 66,700 mi (n = 38)

Owner report AC electric wiring becomes hot and only blows at 1 speed, also with time has become corroded diplaying a live open wire under passanger area, seems it is the following Block Heater Cable Splice Connector May Corrode Prolonged corrosion of the connector may cause a resistive short, overheating or melting the wiring and…
Owner report Same old fuse issue, with only 56,000 miles. Ford is aware, they have a kit to by pass the problem, how ever they will not pay for repair (no recall). Cost almost $500.00 to fix their poor design issue. Buyers beware.

2% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2009–2014)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 252.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
200932485fewest complaints
2010843176
20112,194294
20121,784399most complaints
20132,992340
20141,539211

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

11V049000 · STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

Filed 2011-02-01 · 280,946 vehicles

Defect: FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 18, 2008, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2009. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE HOUSING EMBOSSMENT RETAINING THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE SPRING MAY FRACTURE DURING NORMAL USAGE RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT SPRING FORCE TO RETURN THE HANDLE TO THE FULLY STOWED POSITION.

Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT CRASH, THE DOOR HANDLE SPRING CAN FAIL CAUSING THE DOOR LATCH TO OPEN.

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE INITIALLY NOTIFIED AND INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A FORD OR LINCOLN/MERCURY DEALER IF ANY INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS LOOSE OR FAILS TO RETURN TO THE STOWED POSITION AFTER ACTIVATION FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE AFFECT MODULE. ONCE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE, OWNERS WILL BE RENOTIFIED AND INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A FORD OR LINCOLN/MERCURY DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF EACH INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. DEPENDING ON THE RESULTS OF THE INSPECTION, THE DEALER WILL EITHER ADD A SPRING EMBOSSMENT REINFORCEMENT OR REPLACE THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 10, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

09V150000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Filed 2009-05-05 · 8,735 vehicles

Defect: FORD IS RECALLING 8,735 MY 2009 F-150 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE BRAKE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY BE IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED. THIS MAY RESULT IN A DELAY IN BRAKE STOP LAMP ILLUMINATION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. IN SITUATIONS OF VERY MILD BRAKE APPLICATION, THE BRAKE STOP LAMPS MAY NOT ILLUMINATE.

Risk: DELAY OR LOSS OF BRAKE STOP LAMP FUNCTION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND HAVE THE BRAKE STOP LAMP SWITCH REMOVED AND REINSTALLED WHICH WILL PROVIDE PROPER ADJUSTMENT. THE REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332 OR THROUGH THE INTERNET AT WWW.OWNERCONNECTION.COM.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
F150 Pickup 2WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic 4-spdRear-Wheel Drive141916$3900
F150 Pickup 2WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive152017$3650
F150 Pickup 2WD FFV5.4L 8cyl FFVAutomatic 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive142016$3900
F150 Pickup 4WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic 4-spd4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive141815$4150
F150 Pickup 4WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic 6-spd4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive141916$3900
F150 Pickup 4WD FFV5.4L 8cyl FFVAutomatic 6-spd4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive141815$4150
F150 SFE 2WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive152117$3650

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2009 Ford F-150 Regular Cab w/SABNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★★☆☆
2009 Ford F-150 Supercab w/SABNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★★☆☆
2009 Ford F-150 Supercrew 4-DR. w/SABNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 58 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about power train.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-02-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2024-07-24WHEELSThis article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhib…
2024-04-24EQUIPMENTAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2023-04-04STRUCTUREFor 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe…
2022-06-21POWER TRAINSome 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IW…
2020-10-16ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSome 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with TOD transfer cases may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (…
2020-07-13STRUCTUREThis article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint wi…
2020-02-07ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGThis SKU is an Oil Dipstick. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube inner diameter may be small enough that it prevents installation of the OE dipstick.
2019-07-02EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONERSome 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles may exhibit inoperative or intermittent HVAC blower motor …
2019-02-07STRUCTURESome 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Fo…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this F150, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford F150 model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.